Two car accidents cause power outages in Salinas, Carmel

Two separate vehicle accidents brought down power lines Saturday night in Monterey County, causing outages.

In Salinas, two sedans collided at Sherwood Drive and Calle Cebu just after 7 p.m., sending one car into a power pole that a fire official described as a major transmission line.

"It just took that pole out like it was a matchstick," said Salinas fire Battalion Chief Herb Shoemaker.

The wreck knocked out power to about 5,500 customers, according to Pacific Gas & Electric Co. Power began to be restored about 40 minutes later.

Shoemaker said there were no major injuries. The female driver of the car that struck the pole was taken from the scene by police, he said.

About 15 minutes before the Salinas accident, the driver of a black Jeep lost control of his vehicle near the 26000 block of Hatton Road in Carmel, the California Highway Patrol said. The Jeep left the roadway and sheered off a power pole.

The accident caused the pole to fall on the Jeep and left power lines draped across the road, causing a power outage, the CHP said.

A CHP spokesman said ambulances were dispatched to the location as a precautionary measure, but it was unknown whether anyone was injured.